The "A Heartbreaking Story In Today's Newspaper

 It was an ordinary day.  Saturday, July 22, 2023 and I just sat down to read my morning newspaper.  Same usual stories on page one about farmer's 'grieving' after floods that we have been having in Lancaster County.  Another story tells about Pennsylvania's jobless rate falling 3.8% in June and another story telling about local Lyme disease cases reaching a high.  The biggest headline reads "ALL SET TO BEGIN" and tells the story of area schools announcing when their academic years will start.  Oh, yeah....schools will begin in another month!  As I turn the page I am hit with a few stories on page 3 that are both interesting as well as disturbing.  One story reads "SOUNDS OF SUMMER" which is a story about Lancaster's nonprofit "Music for Everyone" which features monthly free concerts across the downtown area of Lancaster.  The story gives a link to a site that will tell you where the concerts were and will be in the near future.  A large photograph features the group "band 3" which performs at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design's Art Park during the summer months.  A few other stories also appear on page 3 that are rather disturbing.  One headline reads: Defendant in shooting death waives hearing," and tells the story of a man who will face homicide and weapons charges in the May killing of an East Hempfield trailer park.  The final story on page 3 is a rather unusual one.  It tells the story of a "Wendy's" manager who is charged with theft.  Seems that a young woman named Linda admitted to fabricating an employee and collecting his wages for herself.  Haven't heard that one for years!  Seems the "Wendy's" manager has been accused of stealing nearly $20,000 from her employer by fabricating a "ghost" employee who appeared to clock in and out for close to a year.  Police said the lady worked as a general manager of the Wendy's in Manheim Township when the owners of the franchise called police to report fraud.  The owners said the woman created an employee who never actually worked at the restaurant, and she was personally collecting that employee's wages.  A forensic audit showed the ghost employee made $19,898.15 over 22 pay periods.  The woman manually entered 128 shifts.  Only the manager could have done that if it wasn't the actual employee.  Manheim Township Police said that the person's name that was used by the women is a real person known to the woman.  The woman admitted creating the work profile and giving him shifts he never worked.  The money she had posted to her own account was used to care for her children.  The woman was charged with one count of theft by deception.  Her whereabouts are unknown and a number was listed that you could call if you had any information.  How sad the story is to read.  The woman is more than likely poor and needed the money to raise her children.  I know...that's not a good reason to steal, but how heartbreaking to think that now that woman will not be around for her children when they need her the most.  I'm so glad that story was the last story on the page, since I wasn't ready for any more stories such as that! It was another extraordinary story in the life of an ordinary guy.